The Planet Formation Imager initiative aims at developing the next generation large scale facility for imaging astronomical optical interferometry operating in the mid-infrared. Here we report on the progress of the Planet Formation Imager Technical Working Group on the beam-combination instruments. We will discuss various available options for the science and fringe-tracker beam combination instruments, ranging from direct imaging, to non-redundant fiber arrays, to integrated optics solutions. Besides considering basic characteristics of the schemes, we will investigate the maturity of the available technological platforms at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths.

Date Published: 4 August 2016
PDF: 17 pages
Proc. SPIE 9907, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging V, 99071N (4 August 2016); doi: 10.1117/12.2232656

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9907:
Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging V
Fabien Malbet; Michelle J. Creech-Eakman; Peter G. Tuthill, Editor(s)